Hans Koschnik passed away last night at the age of 87. Following his career, he was remembered as a politician of reconciliation, performing the function of the mayor of Bremen and the delegate of the European Union for Mostar in 1996.
Since 1950, Koschnick was a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was a mayor of Bremen from 1967 until 1985. He was known for his unwavering ideas and faith in reconciliation of different people.
Koschnik’s father, who was a union representative and an oppositionist in the period of the Nazi Germany, had a great influence on his political life. Koschnick contributed greatly to the development of Bremen by opening universities and developing industry, including the construction of Mercedes factory.
Due to dissent with the leadership of the party, in 1985 Koschnick stepped down from the position of the mayor of Bremen, and was a member of Bundestag until 1994. In 1996, Koschnick was named the administrator of the European Union for Mostar, where there was an attempt of his murder. During his tenure in Mostar, Koschnick worked hard on unification of the eastern and western Mostar.
During the last decade of his life, Koschnick worked on promoting the principles of peace and co-existence.
(Source: klix.ba)